National Association of Friendship Centres International Centre for the Prevention of Crime International Indigenous Community Safety Seminar Montreal, Quebec March 27-29, 2011 National Association of Friendship Centres 275 MacLaren Street Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0L9 www.nafc.ca
Outline 1) NAFC & Friendship Centre Movement Background 2) Programming 3) Community Safety and Urban Aboriginal People 4) Beyond Programming 2
Who are We? The National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) is a national, non-profit Aboriginal organization that represents the views and concerns of 117 Friendship Centres and 7 Provincial/Territorial Associations (PTAs) across Canada. Mission Statement To improve the quality of life for Aboriginal peoples in an urban environment by supporting self-determined activities which encourage equal access to, and participation in, Canadian Society; and which respect and strengthen the increasing emphasis on Aboriginal cultural distinctiveness. The NAFCs Friendship Centres are located from coast to coast to coast in Canada
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Background Friendship Centre Time Line 1950 s Friendship Centres established in Toronto (1951), Vancouver (1952) and Winnipeg (1959) 1968 26 Friendship Centres across Canada 1968 Friendship Centre Steering Committee established to examine the feasibility of establishing a national body to represent the growing number of Centres 1972 National Association of Friendship Centres is incorporated and the Government of Canada implements the Migrating Native Peoples Program, providing funding to Friendship Centres across Canada 1972 43 Friendship Centres across Canada 1983 80 Friendship Centres across Canada 1988 The Aboriginal Friendship Centre Program (AFCP) secured permanent funding status 1996 The Department of Canadian Heritage transfers administrative responsibility of the AFCP to the NAFC 1996 114 Friendship Centres across Canada 2011 117 Friendship Centres across Canada
Friendship Centres The federal department of Canadian Heritage, partnering with the National Association of Friendship Centres, delivers priority federal programs to Canada s urban population Nationally the Friendship Centre Movement delivers over $120 million annually in programs and services in partnership with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments 6
Governance Friendship Centre Movement Structure Community Members Local Friendship Centre Provincial/Territorial Associations National Association of Friendship Centres Senate Aboriginal Youth Council
Governance Governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of representatives from across Canada, the primary objectives of the NAFC are: Act as a central, unifying body for the Friendship Centre Movement; Promote and advocate the concerns of Aboriginal peoples; and, Represent the needs of local Friendship Centres across the country to the federal government and to the public in general. The NAFC also has a 5 member Executive Committee which consists of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and a representative from our Aboriginal Youth Council.
State of the Movement 2010 FCs provide programs to urban Aboriginal people in the following areas: culture, family, youth, sports and recreation, language, justice, housing, health, education, employment, economic development and other which includes services such as food banks; Nationally, there are a combined total of 1264 programs offered within Friendship Centres; Almost 2.3 million points of contact across Canada in 2010.
AFCP: Program Reach Participants Number of Programs Revenue Culture 235,465 110 $4,348,709 Family 423,763 179 $19,980,539 Youth 235,101 176 $15,872,488 Other 45,170 30 $751,930 Sports and Rec. 75,725 66 $1,157,362 Language 240 4 $60,150 Justice 75,072 78 $4,886,011 Housing 306,940 51 $21,878,859 Health 433,096 335 $32,869,256 Education 64,100 92 $5,517,858 Employment 137,172 109 $9,130,335 Ec. Dev. 259,937 34 $3,803,107 TOTALS 2,291,781 1264 $120,256,609 10
Urban Aboriginal Growth Canada s Aboriginal population growing 6 times faster than non- Aboriginal population 54% of all Aboriginal people live in urban areas; One in 10 in Winnipeg 5% Edmonton 51% increase in population in Halifax since 2001 census 48% of the Aboriginal population is under the age of 25
Importance of Urban Aboriginal Issues Providing services for urban Aboriginal people is rated as a high or very high priority by over 4 in 10 Regina and Saskatoon residents, and by Over 35% of Toronto and Edmonton residents Over 30% of residents of Calgary and Winnipeg Over 25% of Vancouver residents Aboriginal residents rate quality of life in their city less highly than do non-aboriginal residents. Source: Canada West Foundation, LOOKING WEST 2007 SURVEY 12
Community Safety - Risk Risk Factors: Aboriginal populations face an increased risk of crime and victimization due to both historical factors and realities faced in urban areas Vulnerable populations: Women, Elders, and Youth, are especially atrisk While the Friendship Centre Movement was born out of the prospect of an improved life in towns and cities, Aboriginal people are nonetheless faced with great challenges in these urban areas 13
Justice Participants Number of Programs Revenue Justice 75,072 78 $4,886,011 Friendship Centres address the need for Aboriginal involvement in the administration of justice Example: Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres (OFIFC) Aboriginal Community Justice Program More importantly, justice programming empowers community members to address root causes of harmful behaviour 14
Youth Participants Number of Programs Revenue Youth 235,101 176 $15,872,488 Support for Youth a longstanding value of the Friendship Centre Movement Youth programs comprise 14% of all Friendship Centre programming Many risk factors for Youth in urban areas 15
Aboriginal Women There is no shortage of challenges and risks faced by urban Aboriginal women in particular single mother-led families including: poverty, unemployment, lack of child care, safe and secure housing, and violence just to mention a few; Respect for women is a core Friendship Centre Movement value; 71% of all Friendship Centre staff across Canada are female. 16
Elders Elders are an intergral part of the Friendship Centre Movement Involved in practically every Friendship Centre event;; Their presence serves to mitigate the direct and intergenerational effects of residentail schools and other traumas inflicted upon Aboriginal peoples They Connect with Youth to strengthen community and cultural ties; Also provide safe spaces for Elders themselves For example the British Columbia Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres has an Elder abuse awareness and prevention initiative 17
Culture Participants Number of Programs Revenue Culture 235,465 110 $4,348,709 110 cultural programs across Canada with $4.3 million in total funding; Loss of culture is clearly identified as a factor contibuting to criminality in urban Aboriginal populations Ontario s Urban Aboriginal Task Force found that among Youth, lack of identify is the number one challenge they face in their lives; 18
Other Programs Homelessness programs Municipal partnerships important for success in these services; Language Related to the importance of culture for urban Aboriginal peoples; Family It is recognized that strong families make for safe communities; Sports and Recreation Provides safe alternatives to unhealthy lifestyles, especially for Youth; Head Start One facet of a holistic approach that recognizes the importance of supporting every age level of a community especially very young children; 19
Other Programs Health Holistic, culture-based addictions programs for community safety; Housing Urban housing especially stressful on Aboriginal people who require assistance in finding and maintaining affordable housing; Employment Directly addresses unemployment as a risk factor regarding community safety; Education Relates to employment in providing healthy lifestyle options and skills necessary to thrive in a challenging urban environment; Child Care Eases stresses upon working and single-parent families; 20
Community Safety - Protection Protective factors: Friendship Centres provide safe spaces for urban Aboriginal people. Preventative factors : Focus upon Youth to divert at-risk individuals and to support healthy lifestyles. The very work that Friendship Centres do day in and day out serve to mitigate the risk factors associated with crime and support Aboriginal youth to make better life choices. 21
Friendship Centre Friendship Centres play an important role in Aboriginal health and they can serve as an important resource for Aboriginal people who are relocated to urban centres for medical treatments. Friendship Centres offer: Referrals and liaising with other community organizations Counselling on matters such as employment, housing, education, health Various health programming Role in Justice Cultural connections (i.e. connect individuals with Elders or spiritual services) 22
Community Safety Partnerships Youth Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, external Youth councils Women Women s shelters, e.g. Minwaashin Lodge and Odawa Native Friendship Centre in Ottawa Elders Portage la Paririe Seniors Medicine Wheel program under Canadian Mental Health Association At all levels of the Movement, partnerships are utilized to address community safety issues faced by urban Aboriginal Youth, women, Elders, and population as a whole 23
Beyond Service Delivery Friendship Centres are grassroots, community-based, and culturebased This ensures that the needs of urban Aboriginal populations are identified and addressed by the people themselves Beyond programming Create safe and supportive spaces for and by the people Partnerships Understanding that addressing the wide range of community safety issues facing urban Aboriginal people requires a multifaceted and concerted approach 24
Policy Challenge Urban Aboriginal peoples represent the greatest policy challenge in Aboriginal policy. While half of all Aboriginal people live in urban areas, corresponding policy, research and programming does not follow. As a result urban Aboriginal interventions are minimal, what does exist is not well resourced nor well connected. The paradox is that this is the population that could reverse decades long drift in Aboriginal statistics. 25
Indigenous Peoples Around the World More than 370 million indigenous people in over 70 countries worldwide 'Indigenous peoples are particularly vulnerable to discrimination in their access to housing and often hindered from fully participating in the social, political and economic spheres of the city. In addition, environmental challenges, notably the effects of climate change on traditional territories, have a significant negative impact on shelter and livelihoods, contributing to increased migration to urban areas. - UN-HABITAT World Urban Forum 5, Indigenous Peoples in Urban Areas Roundtable Indigenous peoples remain on the margins of society: they are poorer, less educated, die at a younger age, are much more likely to commit suicide, and are generally in poorer health than the rest of the population. - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, 2006 Graph: Infant mortality per 1000 in indigenous communities versus the overall population 26
References Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Gathering Strength: Canada s Aboriginal Action Plan, Ottawa (Ontario). 1997 Dickson-Gilmore, Jane (2007) Aboriginal Communities and Crime Prevention: Confronting the Challenges of Organized Crime. IPC Review, 1, 89-110. International Centre for the Prevention of Crime. (2008). International Compendium of Crime Prevention Practices. Montreal, QC. International Centre for the Prevention of Crime. (2009). Community Safety and Indigenous Peoples: Sharing Knowledge, Insights and Action. Montreal, QC. International Centre for the Prevention of Crime. (2003). Crime Prevention and Indigenous Communities: Current International Strategies and Programmes. Montreal, QC. National Association of Friendship Centres. (2010). The State of the Friendship Centre Movement: 2010. Ottawa, ON. National Association of Friendship Centres. (2006). Urban Aboriginal Families of Children with Disabilities: Social Inclusion or Exclusion? Ottawa, ON. Odawa Native Friendship Centre www.odawa.on.ca Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres www.ofifc.org 27
Thank You For More Information: Jeffrey Cyr Executive Director (877) 563-4844 ext. 318 jcyr@nafc.ca 275 MacLaren Street Ottawa, ON K2P 0L9 www.nafc.ca 28